Tsukiuta. Girls’ 4th Season CD 5 – Fire! Fever! Night Drama (2)

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2. Drama – “Bloom, Bloom”

 

[The sounds of a bustling festival.]

 

Akane: Ooh~! It’s finally started!

 

Matsuri: It’s the festival! It’s festival time!! I’ve been waiting for this~~! HEAVE-HO!

 

Akane: Oh, uh... Matsuri-chan, it seems like you returned home pretty late last night. What did you do after running off back then?

 

Matsuri: Heh. Heh. Heh... That. Is a secret.

You should... look forward to it ☆

 

Akane: H-how unsettling...!

 

Nebutan: Heeey! They’re already doing the Bon dance over there!

 

Akane: Huh? Already? But it’s only noon!

 

Matsuri: I checked it out. When the dancers wear the yukata that Masami-san dyed, it’s even more glorious!

 

Jinnai: Looks like it was the right call for me to dye them extravagant colors so that they’re showy enough on the scaffolding tower.

 

Akane: They start dancing at noon, huh? I’d assumed that they start during the evening, though.

 

Nebutan: The fact they’re dancing for half a day is real incredible, huh!

 

Jinnai: Apparently, it’s not just half a day. They say they dance for two whole days straight!

 

Akane: Whaaat!? Two entire days!? The whole time!

 

Matsuri: This is a story from long, long ago.

There once lived a goblin that caused mischief nearby.

One day, there was a terrible disaster because the goblin ate a festival offering that was meant to be gifted to the dragon god.

The dragon god became terribly enraged, and the village was swept up in a horrible flood.

It’s said that ever since then, the villagers decided to keep a lookout on the offering throughout the whole night, to ensure that the goblin won’t cause harm whenever the festival season rolls around.

And those on watching duty began dancing in order to keep themselves awake...

 

Nebutan: And the conclusion to that, is that it ended up becoming the Bon dance, eh?

 

Matsuri: YES...

 

Akane: That’s incredible, Matsuri-chan! You know so much!

 

Jinnai: When I accepted the offer for the dye job, I had Matsuri-chan look up the legend to help me figure out what concept I’d go with.

 

Matsuri: Eh-heh. I’m good at using the internet. ☆

It’s interesting, the way festivals have these types of legends or folklore attached to them, which also includes the backgrounds from which they come.

I want to stay on lookout for the offering, too...!

 

Jinnai: When we’re done setting up the stall, you’re free to mingle as you please~

 

Matsuri: Ah...! Ya-HOOEY~!

 

Jinnai: Well, then! Let’s get preparing, shall we?

 

Akane: All right~

 

-

 

Nebutan: Here we are!! The takoyaki marked with the Goddess stamp of approval... IS OPEN FOR BUSINESSSSS!!

 

[The takoyaki are being grilled.]

 

Jinnai: Mm~ This smells great! It’s stirring up my appetite.

 

Nebutan: The other stalls aren’t losing out anytime soon!

 

Matsuri: Welcome~ We’re selling takoyaki.

Octopus! We’re grilling octopus~ It’s takoyaki~

 

Nebutan: Ooh, yeah! Matsuri, go get’em, girlie!

 

Matsuri: Forcing my excitement levels up for customer service is no skin off my back. Come on, Nebutan! Join me.

 

Nebutan: Of course! WEL! COME~! We’ve got the best takoyaki there is to see under the sun~! Come on~!

Tako-tako-tako-tako-takopa de—

HEY, WHAT’RE YOU MAKING ME SAY!?

 

Girl 1: Mama, what is that~? Dora*mon?

 

Woman 1: I don’t think that’s it... ...That being said, it’s surprisingly agile for a bodysuit...

 

Nebutan: Hey, hey there! Missus, over there! Ayo, this isn’t some sorta bodysuit, y’know~? And there’s no one inside me, either!

 

Matsuri, Jinnai: ...That’s true.

 

Boy 1: Excuse me! One serving of takoyaki, please!

 

Matsuri, Nebutan: Yes! Coming right up!!

 

Jinnai: Akane-chan, there’s already an order. Can you handle it?

 

Akane: Of course~

 

Jinnai: And, um... the next person wants two servings, right? Please wait a moment!

 

Girl 2: Huh, whoa! That looks delish! I want some, too! Excuse me~

 

Jinnai: Thanks for the order! Ah—Oh, thank you very much! Over here, please!

Um—And everyone in the back, please form a line here!

 

Man 1: Excuse me, could I get a pack?

 

Man 2: Ooh. Now this looks appetizing.

 

Woman 2: Oh, um... Ah! It’s this stall. Excuse me! Is this the end of the line?

 

Nebutan: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoaaa! Since when did we get a total parade of people in this line!?

 

Akane: Uh—whoaaa! You’re right!

 

Jinnai: Where did all these people come from!?

 

Matsuri: Over... there...

...Ahh! It’s coming from the direction where I put up Masami-san’s banner yesterday.

 

Jinnai: Huh!? If it’s thanks to the banner, then I’m happy to hear that’s the case. But for this many people to come just from that...!?

 

Akane: O-ohh nooo... I have to get grilling...!

 

Matsuri: Mhmm. This enthusiastic atmosphere is good, very good.

Takoyaki, takoyaki! Welcome~!

 

Nebutan: WELCOME~!!

 

Akane: I-I won’t be able to make it in time unless I keep churning out more and more...!

 

Jinnai: I’ll cut up extra ingredients, too!

 

Akane: Please take care of it! Matsuri-chan, could I get you to stuff the finished ones into the pack?

 

Jinnai: And include the utensils and stuff!

 

Matsuri: Roger that.

 

Man 3: Hey!! Over here, over here!

 

Boy 2: Takoyaki~ Octopus, octopus!

 

Akane: Eeergh~!! It’s taking everything out of me just grilling them!!

 

Matsuri: Nebutan, go help Akane.

 

Nebutan: You gotcha!

 

Akane: You’re a great help! Nebutan, you’re very skilled at flipping them, aren’t you?

 

Nebutan: Let me handle checking over the grilling plate! I’m working extra hard, super hard...!

 

Man 4: Ohh? What’s that? It’s moving...? Wh-what is it...?

 

Old Woman 1: Whatever could this thing be...?

 

Matsuri, Akane, Jinnai: *gasp*

 

Jinnai: Uu—Uummmm... Uhhh! It’s the newest cooking robot that’s on the market, which is all the rage right now! Isn’t it amazing~!?

 

Akane: Y-y-yes, that’s it! See, see, see? Doesn’t it flip them over at incredible speeds?

 

Nebutan: I am used for. Takoyaki. I grill them. Very well.

Welcome all.

 

Old Woman 1: O-oh, so that was it... That surprised me a good deal. Some stylish things become all the rage in the cities, don’t they?

 

Jinnai: Why, yes~! It’s so well-made that you can’t help but get surprised, right~! Ahahaha!

Here, one pack of takoyaki! Thank you for coming!

 

Matsuri, Akane, Jinnai: Phew...

 

Akane: We somehow managed to fool them~...

 

Matsuri: Nebutan, keep up that robot voice for the time being.

 

Nebutan: Matsuri. Darn you. I’ll remember this.

 

-

 

Jinnai: Akane-chan! Do we still have cabbage in stock?

 

Akane: Everything in the refrigerator is all we have!

 

Jinnai: Huh!? At this rate, it’ll run out!

Agh! I’ll go on a short ride to buy more!

 

[She rings her bike and leaves.]

 

Akane: Thank you so much~!

 

Jinnai: Ah—Hah!

 

Nebutan: A Goddess is going out to buy groceries on a granny bike... Must be tough work.

 

Matsuri: Nebutan, don’t rest up here! Do some grilling!

 

Nebutan: I KNOW THAAAT!

I am used for. Takoyaki. I grill them. Very well.

I’ll take care of it.

 

Boy 1: Whoa! That’s a huge line! Says there’s takoyaki!

 

Nebutan: WEEEEEEEEELCOOOOOOOOOOOME!!!

 

Akane: Phew... phew... It’s like... a lot to deal with, but this is tons of fun!

 

Matsuri: Mmhmm! Festivals are the best!!

 

-

 

Akane: Phew... haah... Whew... I’m exhausted~~~

 

Jinnai: W-we completely sold out, huh...

 

Nebutan: Whugh... Huh, who knew we’d sell out by evening?

 

Akane: We’ll... be doing this tomorrow, won’t we...?

 

Jinnai: Yeah, we are. Tomorrow’s Sunday, so I bet it’ll be even more... Phew.

I gotta go out and buy the ingredients we have low stock in!

 

Akane: Who knew we’d have such a huge line for our stall? Masami-san’s banner yielded some incredible successes!

 

Jinnai: Sh-sheesh~ Do you really think so~? I hope that’s the case!!

Well, darn~! Ahahaha! It was quite a masterpiece, if I do say so myself. ...Eheheh...!

It’s thanks to Matsuri-chan displaying it in a place where it stood out bold and proud!

Ah, but! Akane-chan was just as successful in her efforts! I heard tons of positive reviews, saying that the takoyaki were totally scrumptious.

 

Nebutan: If you’re happy to hear people complimenting you, then quit deflectin’ and accept praise upfront, why don’tcha~!

 

Matsuri: Mmhmm! Akane, you were totally successful too! We managed to conquer the festival thanks to your takoyaki!

 

Jinnai: Our cooking robot also received great rave reviews~

 

Nebutan: You girls. Keep on. Teasing me. For this.

 

Jinnai: Ufufu...!

 

All: *laughing*

 

Jinnai: And here, the first day’s done. I suppose we managed to pump up the festival quite spectacularly, didn’t we?

 

Akane: Of course! We’ll need to do our best tomorrow, too!

 

Matsuri: ...Ah. I just remembered. It’s about time.

 

Akane: Hmm?

 

Matsuri: For that.

 

Akane: Huh? What’s the matter, Matsuri-chan? Is there something in... the sky...?

 

Matsuri: I thought to make use of my specialty too.

 

Akane: Huh? ...Oh!

Fireworks...!

 

[The fireworks fizzle up and crackle in the sky.]

 

Nebutan: Whoaaa! This is one luxurious display!

 

Akane: Wow...!

 

Jinnai: What splendid fireworks...

Huh? Wait, could it be? Matsuri-chan, did you make those?

 

Matsuri: Yes. With my personally-made fireworks machine. They’ll shoot up fireworks for us even if we don’t have anyone manning it.

 

Nebutan: Huh? Did you have a... license for fireworks-making in the first place?

 

Matsuri: Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Nebutan. In order to make fireworks, you don’t need any qualifications. If there were something that I needed... it’d be a license to handle gunpowder-related items. And of course, I already have that.

 

Akane: What kind of trivia is that!? And you already have the license itself...! Now that’s the explosion representative for you...

 

Jinnai: ...How pretty. A festival of this size wouldn’t even dream of having such grand fireworks.

 

Matsuri: I thought that, since I’m pumping up the place, might as well go at it with no holds barred.

 

Akane: Ta~maya~!

 

Jinnai: Ka~giya~!

 

[T/N: Tamaya and Kagiya used to be names of old fireworks manufacturers. It was a tradition to shout out the names of the makers whenever launching the fireworks.]

 

Boy 1: *panting* Big bro! Over here! Over here! They’re shooting up fireworks!!

 

Boy 2: Whoa, for real!? This is awesome!! Super awesome!

 

Boy 1: Yeah! Festivals are so much fun!! Those takoyaki were tasty too~

 

Boy 2: For sure!

 

Boy 1: Let’s go dance the Bon dance!

 

Boy 2: Yeah!! Let’s go!!

 

[The boys run off.]

 

Matsuri: Ufu...

 

Akane: What’s up?

 

Matsuri: It’s nothing.

 

Akane: Heh... Goddess work... might just be this sort of thing, huh?

 

Jinnai: Gosh, Akane-chan? You’ve realized?

 

Akane: Yes! I feel like I’ve discovered something... or maybe grasped something... That’s the sensation I feel.

There’s no set rule as to what we’re supposed to do for our Goddess work. We don’t have any correct answers. And just like this, we make use of our specialties, our strengths...

 

Matsuri: And we bloom, bloom. We bloom big and proud.

 

Akane: Yeah...!

 

Jinnai: Well, then! Let’s do our best tomorrow, too!

 

Akane: Yes, ma’am! We’ll work very hard! Nebutan, too! Let’s grill, grill, grill mountains of those takoyaki!

 

Nebutan: Yeah, girlie! You got it!

 

Matsuri: That’s right, that’s right!! The festival’s just gotten started~!

 

[Matsuri runs off.]

 

Akane: Wh-whoa, Matsuri-chan! Where are you going~?

 

Matsuri: I’m gonna go mingle in the Bon dance!

YAHOOOOO~!

 

Akane: Um, uh...

 

Jinnai: Fufu. Go ahead.

 

Akane: ...! Yes, of course!

Wait up, Matsuri-chan~!

 

Matsuri: Let’s go, Akane! Ready, set!

 

Matsuri, Akane: HEAVE-HO!

-

(part 1)